ISSN: 2581-8651

Journal of Humanities and Education

Vol-4, Issue-1, Jan – Feb 2022
Development
https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/jhed.4.1.16
(JHED)
Peer-Reviewed Journal

Nurturing Communication through Social Online

Platforms
Osama Abu Baha

Assistant Professor, Area Education Officer – UNRWA – West Bank- Palestine

Email: uabubaha@yahoo.com

Received: 20 Dec 2021; Received in revised form: 20 Jan 2022; Accepted: 03 Feb 2022
©2022 The Author(s). Published by TheShillonga. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Abstract— Akram and Kumar (2018) maintained that “Children are growing up surrounded by mobile devices and
interactive social networking sites such as Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook, Orkut which has made the social media a vital
aspect of their life. Social network is transforming the behavior in which youthful people relate with their parents, peers, as
well as how they make use of technology.” This study aimed to find out the advantages and disadvantages of social online
platforms from the students’ perspectives at Quds university. The researcher distributed a questionnaire as tool of research
which consists of 20 items. Moreover, the study used also a qualitative tool: two interviews with two students. The sample
was 60 students of the first and second year level. The researcher concluded that there are radical positive and negative
effects of social platforms on students. However, these platforms have more positive effects especially during the Covid-19
crisis. The researcher recommended raising awareness of the pros and cons of social platforms among future generations.
Alternatively, the researcher recommends that a combination of face to face and social platforms will have more efficacy in
language teaching and learning.
Keywords—social platforms, effects, communication, pros, cons.
I. INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW hinder social interaction. Abu-Baha (2017) studied the
Martin (2008) & Lusk (2010) noted that the social media is effect of using virtual classes on enhancing the reading
the use of Facebook, Blogs, Twitter, MySpace and comprehension and found that virtual classes enhanced
LinkedIn for the purpose of communication, sharing most reading comprehension strategies. Siddiqui and Singh
photos as well as videos. While Faudree (2009) discussed (2016) concluded that “the social media has various merits
the advantages of the social media especially the facebook. but it also has some drawbacks which affect people
Dube (2016) indicates the prolonged and excessive use of negatively. False information can lead the education
social media presents dangers i.e. suffering from mental system to failure, in an organization wrong advertisement
health issues. According to Malik & Rafiq (2016) the will affect the productivity, social media can abuse the
positive impact of social media is expanding friendship, society by invading on people’s privacy, some useless
information media, a place to develop skills, and blogs can influence youth that can become violent and can
opportunities to interact with people who have social take some inappropriate actions. Use of social media is
anxiety. Damota (2019) indicated that social media has beneficial but should be used in a limited way without
both positive and negative consequences. Some of the getting addicted. concluded that virtual classes are very
positive outcomes are socialization and communication; effective in developing the reading comprehension
enhancement of learning opportunities and accessing strategies”. According to Oche & Aminu (2010), it is
health related information. However, he maintained that eminent that students are very divided in social media.
depression, anxiety, bullying, terrorism, and criminal Even in the classroom and lecture theaters, it has been
activities on societies are some of the negative sides of observed that some students are always busy in chatting
social media. Drakel et al. (2018) show that students are and communicating during lectures which hinders the
more focused on social media when they are in the learning teaching processes. Abbas and Wang (2021)
teaching and learning process, and when they are outside concluded that the media platforms assist in adopting
the classroom, there is almost no communication between virtual learning and teaching models to continue providing
students. This phenomenon shows that students have education in the interim of the COVID-19 pandemic. They
unconsciously faced social media's swift influence that can added that, globally, most countries have imposed

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Baha et al. Journal of Humanities and Education Development (JHED)
4(1)-2022

restrictions on physical interaction and face-to face was observed at 95% confidence level whereby, variables
education at all levels of education to minimize the with a 'p' value of 0.05 or less were deemed significant
infection transmission risk of the COVID-19. Educational while those with 'p' value of 0.05 or above were deemed
institutions have turned almost overnight to online insignificant.
teaching, learning, and virtual education to facilitate their 50% of the respondents were males and 50% were
student communities. It helps reduce stress and provide females. The findings represent the views of the two sex
relief to students. Alsaif (2016) concluded that 52% groups about the effect of social platforms on nurturing the
students think that social media is helpful in keeping in students’ communication attributed to gender. This was
touch with friends; 28.5% of the students agree that social necessary for the study to get a balanced picture of the
media helps in socializing; 14.28% students think that respondents’ views.
learning technology becomes easier with social media
usage. 4.7% students think there is no advantage of using
social media. However, the results has also shown that III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
38% of the students agree on social media proving to have A One Way ANOVA was calculated. Table 1 answers the
negative effects on their studies by any means. 7.4 % of first hypothesis.
the students strongly agreed. But 35.7% of the students
Table 1: ANOVA- Gender
disagreed.
Sum of Mean
As covid-19 is still hitting different places and affecting all
Model Squares Df Square F Sig.
educational institutions around the world, the importance
of this study stems in finding out the efficacy of online Regression 3.311 30 0.166 1.101 0.518
platforms in enhancing the communication skills among Residual 1.489 30 0.165
students. The objective of the study is to find out the
Total 4.800 60
effect of the social platforms that the students are
profoundly involved in and its effect on their
communication skills, and to identify the pros and cons of As illustrated in Table 1, the significance value α = 0.518>
the use of social media compared to face to face learning 0.05, thus the Gender is statistically NOT significance.
according to the demographic variables such as gender and Also the F critical at 5% level of significance was 1.101.
study level. Since F calculated = 1.101 which is less than the F critical
(value = 2.701), this shows that the Gender is also NOT
significant in finding out the effect of social online
II. METHODOLOGY platforms on nurturing the students’ communication. In
There are two major Null hypotheses for the study other words, by checking α for the gender, it shows that
objectives: α=0.518> 0.05. Thus, the null hypothesis is accepted and
therefore, gender has nothing to do with the effect of social
H01: There are no statistically significance differences in
platforms on nurturing the students’ communication.
the respondents' answers towards the effect of social
According to the questionnaire items, the most advantages
platforms on nurturing the students’ communication
of social media platforms on communication is that:
attributed to gender.
“Social media connect people from anywhere to anyone”.
H02: There are no statistically significance differences in This item is highly ranked to reach 95% for both males and
the respondents' answers towards the effect of social females. However, the lowest ranking (70%) was for the
platforms on nurturing the students’ communication item, “Social media effects on emotional and family
attributed to study level. connection”
This study was conducted at Quds University through A One-Way ANOVA was also calculated. Table 2 answers
which (60) first and second-year level students (30 males the second hypothesis.
and 30 females) took part and were selected purposefully.
Table 2: ANOVA- level
The researcher used a quantitative tool: a questionnaire
which contained (20) items analyzed according to SPSS. Sum of Mean
Model Squares Df Square F Sig.
The questionnaire of this study was validated and its
internal consistency reaches to 85%. The study conducted Regression 21.283 30 1.064 0.930 0.561
an F- test to establish the significance of the independent Residual 10.184 30 1.132
variable (online platforms) on the dependent variable
Total 31.467 60
(nurturing communication). The significance of variables

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Baha et al.
As illustrated in Table 2, the significance value α = 0.561>
0.05, thus the level of students is statistically NOT
significance. Also the F critical at 5% level of significance
was 0.940. Since F calculated = 0.930 which is less than
the F critical (value = 2.701), this shows that the students’
level is NOT significant. In other words, by checking α for
the level, it shows that α=0.561> 0.05. Thus, the null
hypothesis is accepted and therefore, level has nothing to
do with the effect of social platforms on nurturing the
students’ communication. On the other hand, the most
ranking (92%) of the First and Second year students is
“Social media decreases face-to-face communication
skills”. While the least ranking (50%) is that “Social media
can create anxiety and depression”. This (50%) also
applies on the item: “Social media reduces family
relations”.
The results of the interviews showed that there are many
positive effects of media platforms on nurturing the
communication among students. According to the two
interviewees: 1. Social media can connect people from
anywhere to anyone. 2. Social media have a lot of
advantages in varying the teaching methods and learning
styles. 3. Through social media, one can share issues with
community to get help and guidance. 4. Through social
media one can promote communications and life skills to
the largest audience. 5. Social media can be used to
develop speaking, reading, listening and writing skills. 6.
Social media can help reduce loneliness for those socially
isolated. 7. Social media create sympathy among people’s
lives. 8. Social media help build the community of own
culture, religion and beliefs to discuss, learn and exchange
with others. These results are in harmony with Damota
(2019), Drakel et al. (2018), Siddiqui and Singh (2016)
and Abu-Baha (2017).
On the other hand, the results of the interviews showed
that there are many negative effects of media platforms on
nurturing the communication among students. According
to the two interviewees:1. Social media can disturb
personal lives. 2. Social media can have negative impact
on the health such as gaining weight. 4. Social media can
easily ruin someone’s reputation. 5. Social media can be a
platform to miscommunicate with unknown strangers with
bad habits. 6. Social media can access to people’s personal
matters. 7. Social media can create anxiety and depression.
8. Social media effects emotional connection with the
family. 9. Social media decreases face- to - face
communication skills. 10. Social media reduces family
relations and reduces free time of caring for children and
studies. These results are in harmony with (Oche &
Aminu, 2010) and Dube (2016).
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Journal of Humanities and Education Development (JHED)
4(1)-2022
IV. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
Social platform technologies allow students to share
thoughts, cultures, beliefs with other people. With the use
of social media, students can easily communicate or share
information quickly with each other through various social
networking sites like Facebook, Orkut, and Instagram, etc.
The students can develop life skills and all language skills
such as reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
During Covid-19 pandemic, online platforms have been
used profoundly during the worldwide blockade. The
communication has increased virtually in contrast to the
decrease in face-to-face interaction. This study has many
implications to discuss. First, the students’ opinions-
whether males or females- were balanced and there were
no differences on a significant level about the effect of
media platforms on nurturing communications. This
reflects that both males and females have similar thinking
about media platforms. Both males and females trust that
online platforms can connect people whenever and
wherever. This implies that the world has become a small
village and the world has now become an open space for
people of different cultures, origins, ethnicities, religions
and languages.
The interviews have highlighted the merits of social
platforms in enhancing and fostering the language skills
and the social life. It was clear that the platforms can
hinder the family relations and connections, but still the
knowledge of the world became attainable for students
upon the access and being open to the world. The
platforms can foster communication among students even
in the partnership during games. These platforms also
foster the connections with lecturers and the material
become more accessible when shared by the lecturers.
During the lecture, there is no guarantee that all students
are following the lecture properly, however, some quizzing
and drilling techniques at the end of the lecture can help
put the students on the track. Moreover, in the breakout
rooms, some sort of communication can be initiated
between students or lecturers. These platforms allow
foreign students to be included in the discussions and
communication. The platforms can mostly develop the
listening skills, then the speaking skills, therefore,
receptive and productive skills are being integrated for
better communication.
The social networking and platform technologies are all
about setting the developments that run around the globe.
Students can outfit their plans of what is expected out of
them in the forthcoming days and years by observing the
changes that are being rationalized, shared, conversed or
articulated about on the social platforms. Students
habitually do not get the right platform to share their
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Baha et al.
feelings. However, through social platforms, they will be
given a choice to reflect their thoughts. When learners
were allowed to share what they think and feel, it becomes
easy for them to decide what is good or bad since they will
have feedback by different observers. An important part of
grown-up learners is socializing and making friends. This
allows the students to exchange ideas and learn new things
which will invariably effect in becoming more confident in
life skills.
On the other hand, online platforms might lead in the
reduction in real human contact. The more excess time the
students spend on these online platforms, the less time they
will go through connecting face to face with other
colleagues which will ultimately decreases their
interpersonal abilities. This will also affect the capacity to
convey and socialize adequately face to face with others.
To Akram and Kumar (2018), the businesses are getting
more and more unsatisfied with the relational abilities of
the new alumni because of this reason. The convincing
relational abilities are critical to achievement in reality.
V. Conclusion
Social media has been evolving since quite a long time to
become an important drive for gaining and spreading
information in different domains, such as education,
business, entertainment, math, space, science, crisis
management, and politics. Social media has diverse merits,
yet it also has few disadvantages which influence persons
perversely. Communication on social platforms is highly
efficient as this will allow students to know and discover
the world surrounding them. Even though communication
takes place in a virtual environment, the learners are more
confident in expressing their opinions away form face to
face eyes chasing them. The chance of succeeding on
social platforms is the same for everyone. However,
managing socialization requires quite a lot of time,
planning, precise strategy, huge effort, and ingenious
ideas.
So far, this study has concluded that there are no
statistically significance differences in the respondents'
answers towards the effect of social platforms on nurturing
the students’ communication attributed to gender or study
level. The results have highlighted the merits of social
platforms in nurturing the language skills and the social
life. The online platforms can hinder the family relations
and connections, but still, the knowledge of the world
became more achievable upon the access to the open space
of the online platforms. The study recommends more
monitoring over online platforms by stakeholders. A
longitudinal study on the effect of online platforms on
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Journal of Humanities and Education Development (JHED)
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communication might formulate a clear image for future
considerations.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
An acknowledgement should be presented to all who eased
this study and put it in the right track. Thanks to the
patience of my wife: Sana and children: Rawan, Salam,
Asma and Ahmad.
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